Monday Morning Gratitude

I had a crazy start to the day which is why my Monday morning post is being published in the evening!

I was running out to the bus stop this morning with my daughter and as I realized that I forgot to unlock the door – she closed it. Oooops I was now locked out.  After trying to contact everyone with a spare key – I had no success.  I decided to enjoy my intention of my Monday morning walk on the beautiful Fall morning that it was.  Luckily I had a loaded ipod (and my blackberry) so off I went!

I gave it up to God and the Universe that somehow I would find a way into my house. I came home and it soon became apparent that it wasn’t happening very soon.  I went into my happy little beetle bug in my garage and sat with my blackberry and my ipod.  I listened to a course (that I haven’t had the time to get to) and tweeted and chatted with Facebook friends while I waited.

I gave a shout out to my #mamo friends, which stands for Manifesting Monday on twitter http://www.affirmingspirit.com/blog/2009/03/mamo-on-twitter/ to help me manifest a set of keys somewhere!   Of course, I began to get tweets from friends who were intending for me a way into my house.  One of my regular #mamo friends is Joel, @truthscompany, who sent me three tweets – here they are:

Tweet #1 @truthscompany

Part 1: deep breath – “I AM AT ONE WITH MY SPARE KEY NOW” :0) #mamo <—of course, this one made me laugh…and bring needed humor to my situation. 

Tweet#2 @truthscompany

Part 2: Lesson – How have I been ‘locking myself out of my own house’ lately? #mamo <—-this one got me thinking…and not yet sure I have that answer yet figuratively speaking.

Tweet #3 @truthscompany

Part 3: It’s happening for you not to you (via @ByronKatie) Now enjoy the fresh air and perhaps wonder how this is the most loving experience for you now #mamo <—now this got me REALLY thinking…I’m a mover and shaker – always things on the to-do list.  I have a really hard time slowing down sometimes.  To be locked out of my house knowing my planned to-do list for the day was really frustrating, but I tried to focus on the fact that I had my blackberry so I could send e-mails and make phone calls as needed and I had my ipod.  I had just synched my ipod prior to running out the door with an audio portion of a course I really needed to get moving on.  I just haven’t been able to make the time to work on it.  Well, I figured this was my time to listen up!

After finally deciding to give in (2 hours later) and have my husband come and get me – the phone rang and we located a spare key…10 minutes later I was back inside.  Phew!

I wound up having another HIGHLY productive day even after the crazy start I had.  My attitude and mood, which initially was not good, shifted and opened me up to some wonderful energy throughout my entire day.  Even though the whole thing was honestly a real pain in the butt, I think Joel was right and maybe, just maybe it was the best thing for me to start off my day…but hopefully now with all the spare keys we made this won’t happen again!  At least I can laugh about it now!

Is Negativity Holding You Back? The Commentary

I hope that you have had a chance to read the post yesterday, “Is Negativity Holding You Back?” I hope you enjoyed it and from the feedback that I am getting on it, I know you did!

It’s given me a lot to think about as I am sure it’s done the same for you.  Even as a positive thinker, I struggle at times with negativity.  It’s an awful feeling that creeps in sometimes when you are the most vulnerable.  Over worked?  Tired? Not Feeling Well?  Stressed? These are all things that allow that little bug of negativity to pop in and cause havoc in your life.  Well, life is life (or as I say a lot – “It is what it is…”) and certainly these things mentioned above aren’t going to go away and are bound to crop up in your life from time-to-time.

The real nugget here is how you manage them.  I’ve said time and time again in various places that it’s all about attitude and mindset. With the right attitude and the right mindset we can do just about anything.

I have been challenged a lot in the past few years and 2009 ranks up there.  Honestly, I will be happy to finish out 2009 and look forward to the promise of 2010 (not that I’m rushing the time, believe me!)  I know what gets me through each day is my positive attitude and my determined mindset.  Sure, I can be derailed from time-to-time because things happen (that’s life) and sometimes things don’t pan out the way that I see them.  I always try to challenge myself to look for even the smallest shred of positive that I can take away from a negative experience to turn it around.

We’ve all heard that “things happen for a reason.” It’s so very true!

When Judy and I first started the Gratitude Collection back in early 2007, we were thrilled to participate in a product search with QVC in conjunction with Oprah Winfrey.  We were thrilled – the Universe put this tremendous opportunity right in our laps!  We were very proud of our “pitch” and knew we did the best job that we could.  We knew that if it was meant to be at that moment in time that it would happen and if not we were okay with that.

Well, if you haven’t heard the story, we didn’t get picked.  For the first time in my life, though – I wasn’t disappointed! I couldn’t believe it – it was such an incredible feeling!  We knew some way and somehow our little brand would get to where it needs to be and at that point in time, this avenue wasn’t it.  I still believe that from the bottom of my toes and continue on its path today.

We all have a choice and today, if you have not done so already, I challenge you to “choose positive.” If you have chosen positive – keep it up, you are doing a great job! Know that life happens and you have all the tools you need to manage that pesky little critter of negativity.

In gratitude,

Is Negativity Holding You Back?

I’ve gotten some really great feedback from an article that was included in my last newsletter.  I think it really rings true.  I wanted to share it with my blog readers just in case your are not on our list because I know you’ll love it.  Not on our list yet?  Join here – it’s FREE!

I hope you enjoy reading it.  I will be back later in to make some comments on it.

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Negativity always finds a way to creep up in your life from time to time even for those of us who are already positive thinkers. It’s when negativity builds up too much or shows up too often that you have an obstacle to overcome.

A negative attitude can hold you back from truly living your life. However, you don’t need to feel stuck because you can bring positive thoughts back into your life!

How Negativity Can Hold You Back

Negativity can hold you back in a number of ways. Have you heard the saying: “If you think you can’t, you’re right.” It’s true!  Negative thoughts like this really do sabotage your efforts.

The good news is that you can gain control over how you think.  When you’re expressing complaints and negativity all the time, it not only affects you, but it also affects the people around you.  Negativity, itself, can be the reason why you create roadblocks that don’t really exist! So it’s time to choose the positive (and, yes, it is a choice!)

Manifesting A Positive Attitude

When you adopt a positive attitude, you open yourself up to the wonderful world of possibilities. When positive energy is in the air, you’ll be able to transform your negative feelings and maybe even bring others out of their negativity clouds.

Believe it or not, positive thinking is very powerful. It’s the driving force that steers your life into the direction of your dreams. Remember, your thoughts affect how you feel, and how you feel affects what you do, so if you can change your thoughts, you can change your outcome.

How To Develop A Positive Attitude

How can you change your attitude? It’s easier than you think.

Follow these tips to develop a positive attitude:

1. Visualize. When the negative thoughts come crawling into your mind, transform them with positive images. Visualize something that you find pleasing, peaceful, or exciting. Remember what your ultimate goals are and imagine what it feels like to achieve them.

2. Write it down. Keeping a journal has many positive effects. It helps you vent your frustrations, organize your life, and reflect on your innermost thoughts and feelings. Instead of focusing on the bad, use your journal to chronicle the things that have gone well in your life lately.

3. Relax. Negative feelings are bound to arise when you’re in a stressful state. It’s important to take time out of each day for yourself. This means that you need to adopt a relaxation method that works for you. Perhaps you can take a bath, go to church, attend a yoga class, or meditate. When you’re relaxed, a peaceful and positive mindset will likely overtake you.

4. Read and write affirmations. Grab a book with positive affirmations in it, or better yet, write your own. Affirmations are a powerful way to bring positive thoughts into your present state of well being. Affirmations are short statements in the present tense that remind you of positive attributes and goals in your life. Here’s an example: “I am strong and competent.”

5. Live for the moment. Live your life for the moment and let go of everything else going on in your life. Negative feelings can easily overwhelm you if you’re consumed by past failures or the fear of the future. When you concentrate on the present, your life becomes more peaceful and positive.

In the end, go easy on yourself. You don’t need to be your own worst critic, instead, try being your biggest advocate!  Just concentrate on your well being and you will develop a more positive attitude.

5 Benefits of a Practice of Gratitude

Showing your gratitude can be a great way to spread positive feelings in the world around you. When you think about it, reaching your goals starts with a single positive thought, right?

How do you feel when someone sincerely expresses his or her gratitude to you for something you did?  Doesn’t it make you feel good about yourself?  These positive feelings can lift you up, boost your enthusiasm, and motivate you to achieve even more.

Feeling grateful for what you have can produce the same good feelings and sustain your drive toward your goals.

This shows how gratitude can have some seriously positive snowball effects.

Here are some of the benefits of gratitude:

1. Reaching your goals. When you feel grateful, it tends to be a lasting and selfless feeling.  It’s much more than just a momentary burst of positive energy; it has staying power that will provide a great boost for you to reach your goals.

* When you express your gratitude to others, ensure that you’re open and expressive. People don’t know what you’re thinking; hearing it can make all the difference.

2. Strengthened relationships. There are many ways you can express your gratitude to your loved ones, including saying, “Thank you,” writing a letter, or giving them a thoughtful gift.  When you learn to avoid taking your loved ones for granted, you’ll have a long lasting and loving relationship.

* Showing gratitude is a two way street.  Learn how to effectively express your gratitude and, just as importantly, to receive it as well.

3. Improved communication. Gratitude can mean better communication all around.  By expressing your gratitude to strangers, they’ll be more likely to show an interest in helping you, too.

* Gratitude is such a powerful entity that it can even help you communicate with your pets!  They should be appreciated too.

4. More effective constructive criticism. No matter how we express constructive criticism, it often makes the recipient defensive or even angry.  No one likes a blow to the ego.  In this situation, a grateful attitude can take you a long way.  You can express criticism quite effectively when you also emphasize what you appreciate about them.

5. Preserving memories. You can preserve memories in a positive way when you keep a gratitude journal.  You’ll be able to enjoy your memories again and again when you read about these happy times in the future.

Show Your Gratitude Every Day

Showing gratitude to others may seem like a selfless act, but it’s something that you also benefit from.  When you show your gratitude every day, you change the way you think.

You’ll appreciate your good life when the majority of your thoughts remain positive.  Negative thoughts can sometimes be overwhelming, and just because you have them doesn’t mean you’re a bad person.  They happen to everyone, but you can strive to keep them to a minimum with the help of a grateful attitude.

One way to show your gratitude every day is to remind yourself of the big picture when a negative thought arises.  If a petty argument with your spouse makes you feel angry and heated, take a deep breath and think for a moment.  Remember that the argument is not permanent and, instead, feel grateful for the gift of this relationship.

We need to value our time here on earth and make the best of each and every day.